The 2018 Spring Conference of the Vernacular Architecture Group will be held at Bangor
University in North Wales from Tuesday 3 April until Saturday 7 April 2018. During the day members will tour the locality, visiting and interpreting lesser traditional buildings; lecturesand discussions will be held in the evenings. The visits will cover Anglesey (Wednesday), the Denbighshire Clwyd and Upper Dee valleys (Thursday) and the Conwy valley (Friday). Evening speakers will include Andrew Davidson, David Gwyn, Richard Suggett and Richard Bebb.

The Vernacular Architecture Group is able to offer three bursaries to assist registered
students or professionals in the early years of their career to attend the Conference. The
Committee is aware that the cost often makes attendance difficult for students and others who might benefit from the lectures and discussions, and from the opportunity to meet people active in the field. There is no age limit, and both full-time and part-time students are welcome to apply.

Applicants must normally be students of vernacular architecture or a related discipline, or early career professionals working in the field. They should send brief details including a list of academic courses and any special reasons for attending this conference to help in the selection of appropriate candidates. Candidates will be expected to show evidence of an active interest in vernacular architecture and explain how they hope to benefit from attending the conference.

Applications from students must be endorsed by a course tutor, and applications from early career professionals must be supported by a professional referee. Any other financial support available to the applicant for attending the conference must be declared. Applications and tutor endorsements/references should be sent by email to the VAG Secretary, Claire Jeffery, email secretary@vag.org.uk to reach her no later than Saturday 3 March 2018. The bursary will cover the full cost of the £350 conference fee but will not cover travel or any other expenses. Applicants who are already members of the Group and propose to attend the conference with or without the support of a bursary should ensure a place on the conference by booking in the normal way. Anyone who has reserved a place at full cost but subsequently obtains a bursary will receive a full refund.

Bursary recipients will be asked to write a resume of the conference for the VAG Newsletter. We hope that the recipients will be sufficiently inspired by the conference to join the VAG if they are not already members.